Chapter 3- The Royal Divorce

Question 1

What was David Starkey’s reason for Henry seeking the annulment?

Answer 1

Henry’s courtship with Anne.

Question 2

What was another prompt for Henry seeking the annulment?

Answer 2

The questioning of Mary’s legitimacy by the French.

Question 3

Why was Henry’s marriage to Catherine controversial?

Answer 3

Because Catherine had previously been married to Henry’s elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, who had died in 1502, after less than six months of marriage. Therefore the marriage had required a papal dispensation as a marriage between a man and the window of his brother was forbidden by canon law.

Question 4

When did Henry and Catherine of Aragon get married?

Answer 4

11th of June 1509. Then on 24th June Henry and Catherine were crowned King and Queen of England at Westminster Abbey.

Question 5

What have most historians suggested to be the main reason for Henry seeking the annulment?

Answer 5

To protect the succession

Question 6

Despite Mary’s education in matters of state, why was the idea of a woman on the throne an unthinkable idea?

Answer 6

Because the previous queen Matilda, whose accession in 1135 led to the seizure of the crown by her cousin Stephen and civil unrest.

Question 7

Why was the issue of succession further complicated?

Answer 7

The fact that Henry had an illegitimate son, the Duke of Richmond, born to his mistress Bessie Blount in 1519.

Question 8

What were Henry’s three options to solve the succession issue?

Answer 8

1. Legitimise the Duke of Richmond, which would be unpopular with the nobility and might prompt action by someone with a claim to the throne.
2. He could marry Mary off asap. Then hope she would bear a male heir in his lifetime to inherit the crown on his death.
3. Get rid of Catherine and start again.

Question 9

When did Henry start to question formally his marriage with Catherine?

Answer 9

May 1527. The spanish ambassador reported to the Spanish king that Henry had secretly assembled a group of bishops and lawyers to sign a declaration that his marriage to Catherine was null and void.

Question 10

What did Henry claim about his marriage to Catherine in 1527?

Answer 10

That his marriage to Catherine was invalid, as she had been his brother’s wife, and that’s Pope Julius II, who had granted permission for the marriage to take place in 1509, had been wrong.

Question 11

Why did Henry surmise that his marriage must have been sinful in the eyes of God?

Answer 11

He had failed to produce a legitimate son with Catherine who had survived. Henry had, however, sired a son with his mistress.

Question 12

Who did Henry need to annul his marriage?

Answer 12

Pope Clement VI

Question 13

Why was the demand for annulment difficult for Henry?

Answer 13

1. The original granting of the dispensation
2. The biblical basis of the claim that the marriage was invalid
3. The pope was virtually a prisoner of Emperor Charles V who was Catherine’s nephew

Question 14

Where were the explanations that Henry sought in the Bible?

Answer 14

Old Testamnent offered two interpretations on marrying your brother’s wife:

1. Leviticus
2. Deuteronomy

Question 15

Why was Henry’s approach questioned?

Answer 15

Because technically he was not childless – he had a living daughter.
Problem was further complicated by the condition of Catherine’s marriage to Arthur, explanation offered by Leviticus depended on Arthur and Catherine having ‘ dwelt’ together.Catherine constantly asserted that the marriage had not been consummated. Henry claimed in 1509 that this was true, although he later denied this.

Question 16

How did the ‘law’ of Deuteronomy regarding marriage to a brother’s wife help Henry?

Answer 16

It could be seen only as a social custom of Jewish society; Christians we are not bound to obey it.

Question 17

How did Leviticus help Henry in his divorce proceedings?

Answer 17

As the older of the two sections which give laws about marriage, Leviticus could be seen as binding on Christians. Was possible to argue that the Hebrew word used in the bible for ‘childless’ meant ‘male childless’ and not ‘female childless’, so Henry’s marriage must have infringed natural and divine law.

Question 18

What did Henry hope would happen when he confronted Catherine late in 1527 about the illegality of their marriage?

Answer 18

He hoped that Catherine watch with door quietly into an honorary, excepting his interpretation of this situation. Unfortunately Henry had already shown interest in and 11. This made Catherine’s determination to protect her marriage all the more implacable and the task of Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, in persuading the Pope to grant the annulment all the more difficult.

Question 19

When did Henry first seem to become attracted to Anne Boleyn?

Answer 19

Around 1526. He had tired of her sister Mary. There is considerable dispute as to when an actual relationship with Henry began and whether it pre-dated Henry’s decision to seek an annulment of his marriage to Catherine.

Question 20

What evidence is there that Anne Boleyn was interested in theology?

Answer 20

She was exposed in France to new learning and religious ideas.
She was also responsible for giving Henry a copy of Simon Fish’s book ‘Supplication for the Beggars’, which criticised greedy and overfed clerics.
She was in regular contact with a number of clerics who were questioning the old orthodoxies of the Church.

Question 21

Why were Henry and Catherine’s divorce proceedings delayed in Rome?

Answer 21

In December 1527, negotiations began in Rome. Most negotiations in the Vatican where protracted but this was even more so. As a result of the Pope’s position as a virtual prisoner of Charles V, he was unable to decide in favour. To delay matters the Pope sent Cardinal Campeggio to hear Henry’s case in England.

Question 22

What had changed in the court during the time of the Pope deciding on Henry’s divorce?

Answer 22

Anne was now the King’s constant companion although Catherine was still Queen. Anne played the main role in court life.

Question 23

When did the court open at Blackfriars in order to hear the case for divorce?

Answer 23

March 1529

Question 24

What did Catherine do at the Blackfriars court?

Answer 24

She appeared resolute in her position as Henry’s legal wife. She made impassioned pleas to Campeggio and to Henry. She was as adamant that her marriage to Arthur was not consummated and that the dispensation was valid.

Question 25

What did Campeggio announce when a decision was expected?

Answer 25

That the court was part of the court in Rome and hat the case was being adjourned to meet there in October.

Question 26

How did Campeggio’s announcement affect Catherine?

Answer 26

She had already made it clear that she would, in any case, appeal to Rome should the commission’s decision go against her.

Question 27

How did Campeggio’s decision affect Wolsey?

Answer 27

He could not do anything to stop the decision. In October 1529 when the court did not meet in Rome, Wolsey was replaced as chancellor by Thomas More.

Question 28

Why did Wolsey fail to achieve Henry’s divorce?

Answer 28

Henry had expected Molesey to achieve the annulment of his marriage by using his position as Cardinal and legatus a latere to influence the Pope. Unfortunately for Henry and Wolsley, Pope Clement VIII was the virtual prisoner of the HRE Charles V, in Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. The influence of Catherine’s nephew was far greater than any that Wolsley could bring to bear and was much more immediate.

Question 29

Why was the title ‘the reformation parliament’ misleading?

Answer 29

The acts that were passed fundamentally changed the relationship between England and he Catholic Church. However there were no acts passed that changed religious beliefs and the members that met in the House of Commons and Lords had no agenda for religious reform.

Question 30

Why were parliaments usually called?

Answer 30

When the king needed money for invasion off foreign country or to defend England from an attack. Also for internal challenges.

Question 31

Why were monarchs reluctant to ask parliament to grant taxation?

Answer 31

It could lead to discontent and even rebellion.
To be persuaded to grant money, members of parliament expected to gain something in return. Usually this involved the passing of acts of Parliament relating to the localities and private concerns.

Question 32

How many parliaments had Henry called before 1529?

Answer 32

4. The first, which sat for five weeks in 1510, had been called primarily to ensure that Henry VIII was granted the right to collect customs duties for life. The second Parliament, which met for a total of 36 weeks between 1512 1514, passed little legislation apart from an attempt to prevent further enclosures and granting modest amounts of money towards the cost of Henry’s foreign policy.

Question 33

What was significant about the second parliament?

Answer 33

It offered an opportunity for members to air concerns about what matters were for the King’s court and for the church courts which had been raised by the case of Richard Hunne.

Question 34

What happened in the Parliament which assembled in April 1523?

Answer 34

It sat for 15 weeks and was mainly noted for the passing of private taxation and for the raising of taxation to enable Henry to engage in European affairs. But this act, like it’s predecessors, was insufficient for Henry to play the strong military role he wanted to in European affairs

Question 35

What did Cromwell say about parliament in 1523?

Answer 35

“We have done as our predecessors have done before; that it to say, we have left things where we began.”

Question 36

When parliament was called in 1529 was was Henry’s main concern?

Answer 36

The failure of the papal court to grant the annulment of his marriage to Catherine

Question 37

What issue concerned some MPs at the reformation parliament in 1529?

Answer 37

Wolsey’s fall from grace an their desire to pass an act of attainder against him.

Question 38

At the reformation parliament what issue did some London MPs raise?

Answer 38

They were merchants and lawyers who began an attack on the abuses of the church. Four separate acts were passed that limited the power of the clergy.

Question 39

What 3 options were being considered by Henry to pressure the pope into granting the annulment?

Answer 39

1. Weakening the will of the Church to resist whatever Henry wanted, in taking action against either the church in general or leading churchmen in particular, based on praemunire.
2. Forcing the church to grant the crown a large sum of money.
3. Taking legal control of the church.
   By using the attack on the church by the London MPs, Henry pursued a policy through parliament that combined all three elements.

Question 40

What is praemunire?

Answer 40

To commit praemunire was to appeal to a power outside the realm for resolution of a situation within England that was under jurisdiction of the crown.

Question 41

What was the submission of the clergy in 1532?

Answer 41

• late 1530, Henry charged 15 churchmen with praemunire.
• convocation of the archdiocese met in early 1531 and it was made clear to them that Henry would withdraw the charge of praemunire if the church provided £100,000 and would agree to his title being changed to “Supreme Head of the Church in England and Wales (as far as the word of God allows.)”
• this would be enshrined in an act of parliament, which would give the action legal powers and a constitutional significance.
• convocation, weakened by Wolsey’s fall, had no choice but to accept Henry’s new title and pay the fine.
• not clear where Henry thought this action was leading but certainly no positive reaction from the pope.

Question 42

What was the supplication of the ordinaries in 1532?

Answer 42

• following the submission of the clergy, MPs petitioned Henry to take action against the way the church abused their powers. Petition know as the SUPPLICATION OF THE ORDINARIES.
• even before it was debated, Henry presented convocation with a series of specific demands which meant that the church lost its legal status.

Question 43

What were the two demands made by the supplication of the ordinaries?

Answer 43

1. They should all surrender the right to pass canon law.
2. All future changes in canon law would require the consent of the King.

Existing canon law was to be scrutinised by a committee of 16 laymen and 16 clergy. Only those laws of which they approved would remain in force.

Question 44

What was the act to remove annates in 1532?

Answer 44

• direct attack on Rome itself.

- it removed the chief source of revenue that the church in Rome received from England.

Question 45

Why was the act of annates a little more difficult to pass?

Answer 45

Although it was a subject of criticism in parliament, the act didn’t receive full support in the House of Commons so Henry made sure he was present at the vote.

Question 46

What was Cromwell’s involvement with the act of annates?

Answer 46

• he realised that it was a diplomatic bargaining tool and he drafted at clause which held up the act until the king should confirm it.
• while the original criticisms had been raised by members of parliament, the initiative for change was increasingly in the control of Cromwell and Henry.

Question 47

What were annates?

Answer 47

Monetary payments made by English bishops to the church in Rome from their first year’s income from their dioceses

Question 48

What was the situation between Henry and the Pope by 1532?

Answer 48

The treatment of Wolsey, the submission of the clergy and the supplication of the ordinaries were insufficient challenges to the power of the church to force the Pope to go against the greater power of Charles V. The Pope appeared to have assumed that Henry would regard these as only temporary measures and as soon as his infatuation with Anne was over he would return to the pre-existing situation.

Question 49

How had Henry and Anne’s relationship developed by 1532?

Answer 49

Henry nor Anne were prepared to accept the Pope’s procrastination. Anne’s frustration continued and her situation was complicated by the attitude of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Warham, to Henry’s need to annul his marriage.

Question 50

How did Warham’s death in August 1532 appear to open possibilities to Henry?

Answer 50

In the autumn of 1532 Henry and Anne travelled to Calais to gain support from Francis I. Although Anne had been created Marchioness of Pembroke to be able to accompany Henry, Francis refused to receive her formally. The welcome given to Henry however was recognition enough of the relationship. They slept together and Anne got pregnant. A secret marriage was prepared. Imperative annulment was achieved, and key to this was Cranmer.

Question 51

Who was William Warham?

Answer 51

Was significant in the negotiation of the marriage between Catherine and Prince Arthur. Swiftly became Archbishop of Canterbury and 1504 and Lord Chancellor in 1509. Lost influence when Wolsey, who Henry favoured, became the principal advisor. He did not agree with any legislation passed by Parliament to limit the powers of the church but he failed to defend the church against the will of the king. His death in 1532 enabled Thomas Cranmer to take over his role and marry Henry and Anne.